Level 3 Accuses ISPs of 'Deliberately' Harming Service

Level 3 said top U.S. broadband providers have neglected to make upgrades that could speed up Internet service.

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Internet backbone provider Level 3 this week called out several major U.S. broadband providers for refusing to upgrade their networks in order to ease congestion.

"They are deliberately harming the service they deliver to their paying customers," Level 3 said. "They are not allowing us to fulfill the requests their customers make for content."

Level 3 helps Internet traffic get from point A to point B, but it works with other networks - 46,000 to be exact - to complete those connections so you can check your email, watch Netflix, access Google Drive, and post selfies to Instagram.

According to Level 3, however, some ISPs are not willing to spend the money on network upgrades that would ease congestion - and cut down on those Internet buffers. Why not? These companies, Level 3 said in a blog post, are located in markets where they do not face significant competition, suggesting there is no incentive to spend the money. Level 3 said a port upgrade would cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

"In countries or markets where consumers have multiple Broadband choices (like the UK) there are no congested peers," Level 3 said.

Level 3 posted charts from a 100Gbps interconnect in Dallas with a port that was "congested and cannot accept all of the traffic that is trying to get through." Packets are dropped and those that are not dropped are delayed, Level 3 said. A 100Gbps port in Washington, D.C. with another peer, meanwhile, "shows no congestion."

"Shouldn't a broadband consumer network with near monopoly control over their customers be expected, if not obligated, to deliver a better experience than this?" the company asked.

Inter-connection, or peering, deals have been in the news recently after Netflix said that it was forced into such deals with ISPs like Comcast and Verizon. Without them, Netflix said, its customers would have a terrible experience using Netflix on those ISPs. Ideally, however, strong net neutrality rules would make such inter-connection deals obsolete, according to Netflix.

In response, the ISPs said such deals have been in place for years, and accused Netflix of trying to get something for nothing.

Level 3, meanwhile, had its own spat with Comcast four years ago. At the time, Level 3 accused Comcast of violating the principles of net neutrality when it demanded that Level 3 pay a recurring fee for transmitting online movies and other content to Comcast customers. Comcast responded that the deal it offered Level 3 is the same it offers its other content delivery providers, and accused Level 3 of wanting to double the amount of traffic it delivers to Comcast's network, for free. The companies reached a deal by July 2013, but terms of the settlement were not released.

Level 3 also battled with rival Cogent in 2005, when Level 3 cut off access to Cogent because of an ongoing dispute about financial arrangements.

Chloe Albanesius has been with PCMag.com since April 2007, most recently as Executive Editor for News and Features. Prior to that, she worked for a year covering financial IT on Wall Street for Incisive Media. From 2002 to 2005, Chloe covered technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University...
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